Aqua Ohio: OSHA inspections and violations

Incident on Mar 29, 2016 (fatal): Employee is killed in trench collapse.

At approximately 1:45 p.m. on March 29, 2016, an employee and coworkers were working inside a trench to install a water line offset. The water line offset was being installed as part of a road widening project. The work crew consisted of a crew leader and three distribution technicians. The workers dug a trench with a varying depth of approximately 4.8-ft deep to approximately 8-ft deep. The trench had a varying width with a maximum width of 14 feet, 3 inches. The trench was dug approximately 23-ft long. The side walls of the trench were near 90 degree vertical walls. The soil was classified as type Cohesive, Type B (CBY) and the crew leader on-site, who was considered the competent person by the employer. A lab analysis classified the soil as; Cohesive, Type B. After the connection was made between the new and existing lines workers exited the trench. The work then continued from outside the trench to prepare to make the connection at the north end of the trench between the new offset section and existing water line. While workers were working outside the trench preparing the next section of pipe, the employee, a distribution technician, entered the trench. The reason the employee entered the trench was unknown. While the employee was inside the trench working near the south offset connection, the east, road, side wall of the trench collapsed. The area where the employee was working inside the trench at the time of the collapse was approximately 5.5 feet deep. When the wall collapsed it struck the employee and caused his head to strike the water line and or offset connection collar. The employee was taken to a local hospital, but died as a result of his injuries hospital, but died as a result of his injuries